Locket
by Ms. Answer
Summary: "I don't know, I really don't. But I know I can fix this, I've...I've done it before," an all too familiar voice cried out. She sounded shaky, afraid. It seemed to shake the entire vacuum of open space, causing the tiny heart to shift. Sans quickly tried to follow it. He had to find her. Pain was tearing apart her soul, shaking his surroundings. Ratings may change.
1. Chapter 1

**Just some drabble of writing. Hopefully soon I'll get out of this Undertale phase.**

 **But for now, Squeee. Experimenting with the fandom, so feel free to criticize anything or show support.**

 **I own nothing, this is purely fanmade.**

 **Peace.**

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 **..**

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…

He narrowly missed her. She was good, almost too good. Laughing, he saw her scoop up a handful of snow, packing it tightly. Grinning, he shifted behind a tree trunk and teleported behind another. His game of 'Follow the lady' always stumped Frisk. She threw the snowball, hitting the tree Sans had just left. If she'd been any faster he would've been hit. He grabbed some snow, using magic to shape it into a perfect ball. On second thought, it may be time to end this. Snow rose around him, balling itself up into more ammunition for him. Frisk looked around, trying to figure out where he had gone. She wasn't expecting a sneak attack from above, as snow rained down upon her.

"That's cheating!" She cried, shaking the snow from her hair and sweater.

"Kid, I've been cheating the whole time, now you complain?" With a shrug, Sans walked over to the poor girl. Offering a hand out, he winked. "But okay, next time you'll get me."

"Hmph." Frisk took his hand and yanked him into the snow with her. Both started laughing in the pile of snow, shoveling mounds of it on one another. Looking up at the sky, Sans smiled at the twinkling stars. Man, he was never going to get over the vastness of the sky. It looked like it would stretch on forever. Next to him, Frisk stretched out also looking above. The edge of her sweater pulled above her stomach, showing only the tiniest flashes of skin.

"Hey kid, aren't you getting cold?"

She let out an unsure huff, a small white cloud blew from her lips. Cold, but didn't care huh? Well, if he was going to be out here with her, she wasn't going back sick. Gently taking her soul, he lifted her up with his magic. She flailed around, not wanting to leave the snow pile they had created. Walking back to Snowdin II, Sans kept one finger up in the air to trail Fisk along side him.

"I'll walk, I just… Don't want to go back yet." She crossed her arms. He set her down, raising a non-existent eyebrow at her. "I just have a bad feeling, you know? Like everything…" She gestured with her hands at their surroundings. The trees, the stars, the snow, even Sans. "Is about to be ripped away."

"Kid, you planning a reset? Or is this about that bad dream?" He really hoped not. This had been their topic of conversations for years. Every time she said no. But she'd wake up screaming, terrified of Sans. He didn't remember in all their timelines doing anything to deserve that, she had never completed a bad one. Other than their games and jokes, he'd never laid a hand on the kid. Frisk has never remembered much of the dreams either, just the feeling of being petrified.

"No, not ever. And it feels worse than 'bad'," Her feet touched the ground softly, and she hurried to walk next to him. Her dearest friend, who knew everything he could about her. Who had always been present when needed. All of the monsters were dear to her. But she wasn't having a snowball fight with all of the monsters either.

"Well, as long as you're determined to keep this, it ain't getting away from you. 'Sides, we can't keep stalling forever, we gotta at some point eat my brother's food." She laughed, rubbing her arms. Sweaters covered in snow were not very warm.

The lights from the monster town illuminated the hills around them. Perfect, flawless snow crunched under their feet. The pine trees reminded the monsters of Snowdin, so it was only natural they would set up a similar community. Similar, but still different. Some humans had taken up residence there as well, and some of the younger monsters decided to explore the city life. Papyrus had wanted to visit the city, but insisted that home should be where you're most comfortable. This created their new, exactly the same home in Snowdin II, right down to the overstuffed mailboxes and human-housing shed. A new addition was a small, one story home that Frisk and Toriel shared. It mirrored the ruin's home perfectly, minus the basement. It was only across the street from the brother's home, so the two had plenty of opportunity to hang out over the years.

Sans opened the door to the house, calling out to Papyrus. Happily, the taller skeleton came rushing out of the kitchen with plates full of slightly burning spaghetti.

"WELCOME HOME! I was worried the food would get cold," he mentioned, setting the plates down on the coffee table. After looking over the pasta, Frisk spun it around her fork, extinguishing the small embers inside of it. Papyrus looked at her with excitement, eagerly awaiting his friend's approval. Taking a bit, she was surprised at how...cold it was. With a shiver, she gave the skeleton a thumbs up. Honestly, how does he do it…

"It's great bro," Sans handed an empty plate back to his brother, who seemed surprised he finished it so quickly. Frisk narrowed her eyes at him, _too quickly._ Cheating even at eating, that was a new low.

After they finished dinner, they listened to Papyrus' stories of befriending new humans. One in particular wished him a very good day, and in fact his day was very good. Frisk smiled as he talked, happy the monsters and humans were getting along so well. She'd had doubts, but with monsters like Papyrus, the humans easily accepted the new race.

Now the biggest challenge they faced was Papyrus learning how to drive.

Wishing her dear friends farewell, Frisk stretched as she got off the couch. Sans walked her to their door, but felt no need to walk her back to her own home. It was what, ten feet away? And she was grown now, didn't need an escort. Hell, she didn't even need one in the Underground, where things _were_ trying to kill her. She gave Papyrus another grin and compliment on dinner before closing the door behind her. Papyrus looked at her out their window, eager to make sure she reached the door safely. Toriel opened up, giving Frisk a hug before ushering her inside from the cold.

"You two were gone for quite some time, Sans!" Papyrus eyed his brother carefully. "Keep in mind she is still a child for a few more days!"

Sans snorted.

"Papy, what are you _talking_ about?"

"Nyehehe! A human rule I learned of today, not so unlike our own. Apparently, human children are permitted to date at a specific age!" He rubbed his chin, looking regretful. "A rule I did not know when the human flirted with me when we met. HOWEVER, this special age is coming soon, and Toriel is planning a big party for her!"

"Cool bro," Sans shrugged, stretching his legs out on the couch. His eyes closed, arms behind his head. Eh, stairs were too much work. "Glad you aren't in trouble for breaking rules."

"Sans I am very upset by this, HOWEVER! I, as your greatest Brother, have a duty to inform you of this before you 'go out' you must properly prepare!"

Sans shot up, holding his hands out in front of his face defensively. "Woah woah now bro, y-you're not making sense." This wasn't the first time Sans had received this talk. Undyne, Alphys, even Napstablook had felt like they needed to give their input on his love life. At least from them, he could shrug it off. But with his brother in his face, giving him that accusing look, it was harder to brush it off. "The kid's birthday is comin' up, what are you going to give them?"

That was the right choice. Papyrus' face lit up.

"OH! Yes, that is also an issue!" Papyrus started pacing around the coffee table. "I had thought about cooking for them, but unfortunately the Queen has no need of extra food!" The pacing increased as Papyrus continued rubbing his chin, very much vexed by this predicament. After all, a birthday of such importance requires a best friend to have the best present. "Sans, what does the human like?"

"Sleeping," as if to demonstrate, Sans flung himself back on the sofa. Birthday huh? Well, whatever his brother got for the kid Sans could tack his name onto. 'And Sans' was on every card from every gift giving holiday. But actually, the kid could use a heavier sweater, or jacket. "Maybe some warm clothes."

"Clothes?" As if he had hit a magic button, Papyrus snapped back to Sans. "Perfect! You can give her some clothes for your dates!" Nodding his head, Papyrus decided such a gift was perfect for mentioning his original point. "Since the human is of dating age, it is only natural you would think of clothing brother. You must go tomorrow if you have any hope of making it on time! SANS ARE YOU LISTENING?"

Sans had rolled over on his side, willing himself to sleep if only to drown out his brother. The lumpy green couch was very Sans-shaped. He was hoping his body language would convince his brother he was sofa-king done with the date talk.

He heard Papyrus sigh, mumble something about lazy, and head into the kitchen. The clanking sounds of dishes being washed, and broken, were helping Sans lull to sleep. The smell of soap and thoughts of her filled his mind before Sans drifted off. Birthday huh, it'd make what, a decade of freedom? It was..really a big deal then. Wonder when the last time the kid reset? Knowing they had the option made him uneasy. Even though Frisk promised over and over, and had obviously been honest, he was still getting that sense of impending doom. But then again, he'd always had that.

Sleep overtook him. Sans was suspended in a black void, stretching out. _Flying dream, huh?_ He noticed a small bit of light, no bigger than the locket around her neck. Drifting to it, he peeked through the dim light. Like looking through a keyhole, he could only see what was directly in front of this tiny heart. _Bars? Is that the shed?_ The dim glow illuminated thick, wide bars in a wooden room. A lantern on the floor was the source of the light. A small dog bed was in the corner, along with an empty food dish. Everything looked a lot...bigger, than usual. The smell of wood varnish and metal wafted from the opening. Hesitantly, Sans poked a finger at the heart outline. He couldn't go through it, but it was slightly dented into the bizarre scene. He looked around the void. Nothing else glowed like this tiny spot, but if this was all he could see then why not just float aimlessly?

"I don't know, I really don't. But I know I can fix this, I've...I've done it before," an all too familiar voice cried out. She sounded shaky, afraid. It seemed to shake the entire vacuum of open space, causing the tiny heart to shift. Sans quickly tried to follow it. This weird dream had to mean something, they always had before Frisk uh, dropped in.

"Try again, kitten."

A screech rattled around him again, piercing and painful. Not just for the screamer, but for him too. It felt like the sound would tear his soul in half. That voice, he knew it. An eerie feeling crept up his spine. Floating back as slowly as he could, afraid of who he would see, Sans tried once again to look at the surroundings. On the other side of the wide bars sat a very familiar lump. But not too familiar. A glint of gold and red caught his eye as he fell downwards, away from the heart. He couldn't go back up, he couldn't suspend himself. All he could do was fall.

"WAKE UP BROTHER, YOU HAVE ERRANDS TO RUN!" Sans flailed his arms around, trying to grab onto anything to keep him from plummeting to his death. Papyrus gave him an odd look as Sans grasped onto his forearms. "Sans this is why you should sleep properly in your bed."

"Papyrus?" Breath guy, breath. "Sorry, ah," he released his brother, grinning sheepishly. "Just uh, bad dream." He looked around, same room, same pet rock on the dresser. His brother just stared at him before shaking his head again, pointing at an unplugged alarm clock in his other hand.

"Nevermind that, you're running late!"

"Paps, its blank," he smiled, already swinging his legs off the side of the lumpy couch. He pieced together what his brother meant though, he wanted Sans to go shop for the kiddo. He just felt absolutely exhausted. Glancing at the pet rock, Sans wondered if a regift would be acceptable.

Papyrus looked at the clock. "So it is," he narrowed his eyes at the device, as if it meant to offend him.

"Well, I'll go look around for something I guess." Sans waved awkwardly before he headed toward the door. Man, that sunlight was blinding, he really must've been out. He didn't feel like he got much sleep though.

…

.

…

Frisk slept terribly. Every night she seemed to be woken violently, but couldn't recall much of anything. She knew they were only dream, but damn if they didn't feel so… scary. She and Toriel were walking around a grocery store, picking up way too much food for tonight's party. She wasn't even sure how many people would be there, just that Toriel forbade her from canceling like she had done before. Too many people were exhausting.

As her mother compared two different types of sugar, she eyed the cake. A big, fluffy white cake with purple lettering. The cake was a mix of vanilla and chocolate, divided down the middle for folks with different taste. Of course, Frisk had already mentally claimed the corner piece. Little gold flower sprinkles outlined the words "Happy Birthday," while in bigger numbers "18th" was underlined. The purple frosting looked so good, Frisk wondered if Toriel would notice if she tasted it.

"Don't you dare," was the response when Frisk touched the box. Toriel hadn't even looked back at her, she just knew.

"I can't have my cake and eat it too, huh?" She teased. Her mom sighed.

"It's bad enough you've already seen it. There was nothing else you'd rather do today then plan your own surprise party?"

"If I was planning it, it'd be just us. Not the entire town."

Her mom only laughed, deciding on the bigger bag of sugar. Plopping it in the cart, she noticed a familiar blue figure walking across the street. Grinning at this new option, Toriel point over; "Why don't you go see if your friends want some company?"

Frisk immediately abandoned the idea of cake when she followed the monster's finger. Sans continued on, and Frisk was determined to catch up to him. He seemed troubled, but was holding a paper sack in one hand while tapping his chin with the other. Well, if he seemed troubled it was the perfect time for Frisk to swoop in and save him. Waving goodbye to her mother, she nearly tripped herself rushing out the doors to the supermarket. Sans was in his own world, trying to piece together that odd dream, he didn't notice the kiddo calmly walking beside him until she spoke.

"So, where are we going?"

"Kid you nearly gave me a heart attack," Sans gripped his chest for emphasis.

"Nah, you don't have the _heart_ for that," She flicked her thumbs and index fingers out, obviously pleased to finally use that one. Sans shook his head before he smiled at her, making her blood freeze for an instant. Something about his grin frightened her, and she wasn't sure why. He must've noticed her face, he slowed down.

"You alright kid? You look spooked." He looked closer at her face. "You didn't get much sleep again last night, huh?"

"M'mm. 'Nother bad one." She shifted her eyes toward the sidewalk slowly moving under their feet. It was kind of embarrassing how easily he could read her mind. "Must be an omen for adulthood or something…"

"Kid? You wanna talk?" Sans took her hand gently, genuine concern in his white pupils. She nodded her head and he pushed his magic around them, warping the images of the busy town square and shopping centers. When reality snapped back, they were in a familiar smelling bar with a very familiar flaming barkeep. Grillby didn't seem to mind their sudden appearance, or the fact he wasn't actually open yet. He just let the two take a booth over in a corner and continued prepping for the eventual opening.

"Lay it on me kiddo," Sans set his paper bag down by his leg and set his elbows on the table, interlocking his fingers. He looked surprisingly serious. Frisk shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Something about his eyes locking onto hers made her feel both happy and nervous.

"I mean, it's always the same. Every night, for the past few months I think. It's all bits and pieces." She made a cuckoo sign by her temple. "I remember being in a room, something around my neck." She rubbed her neck, as if she could still feel whatever it was. "And blinding pain."

"What'd the room look like?" Sans inquired. Maybe helping her break down the dream could help her understand it? But she only shook her head. No idea, huh? Grillby came by and set a glass of water and a glass of soda down on the table. Frisk picked up a paper straw, tearing it across the middle into two pieces.

"What are you doing Sans, you're not a psychology professor."

"I do science. Psychology is a science."

"But it isn't the kind _you_ do." She blew one end of the straw, shooting the paper at Sans. Or rather, where he had been sitting. A bony arm wrapped around her shoulders, making her roll her eyes. "You have to dodge that too?"

"What, am I supposed to stand there and take it?" He winked at her, chuckling. The laughter brought a spark of recognition to her eyes and she stared at him. Now he shifted uncomfortably. Her big dark eyes were fixated on him, and it was scary how okay he was with that. "Uh, something wrong?"

"No no, nothing. Just a feeling of deja vu, you know?" Cold air wrapped around her as Sans returned to his seat. His face tinted blue, she snapped out of her mood and started giggling. "You're cute like that." She pointed, letting him turn and face the stained glass window. Looking at his own face, he sighed.

"You're having fun with this, huh? Well, do I have a secret weapon for you."

"Oh? You're going to embarrass me now?"

"You could say that, it does come naturally to me after all. In fact, you _could_ say it's a...gift." He swung the paper bag onto the table, surprising Frisk. She glanced at it, then at him. A smile broke out across her face, suiting her much better than those sad eyes she'd come to him with. She picked at the tissue paper inside, pulling it apart as quietly as she could. It wasn't properly done, since he had just bought it. But why wrap it when it was already concealed inside the store bag? Sans took a sip of his water, trying not to look absolutely delighted at the smile on her face.

Frisk pulled on the soft fabric inside the bag. It was a long, dark grey sweater with a blue stripe across the chest. On her, it could probably pass as a sweater-dress, it was so over-sized. The sleeves were also long, and loose. Perfect for layering. Realization hit her, when he was walking her home he was concerned if she was warm enough. She didn't look it, so he must've thought she'd appreciate something like this. Sans, as usual, was right. It was probably the best present he had ever given her. She hugged it to her chest, wanting more than anything to put it on right then. It was still cold outside, and her jeans and long sleeves could only protect her in the sun. Once the sun set, she'd probably be cold. Not like she was going anywhere though, with the party. That gave her an idea.

"So, you like it?" He scratched the side of his face, blue tint still apparent. But Frisk was too happy to try to tease him now. He wasn't sure what to say, but she really looked happy. "I was going to wait till the party tonight but uh, you caught me." He held his arms up in a shrug, still keeping an eye on her smiling face. As soon as she buried her face in the sweater again, he had an idea. Quickly, he pulled out his phone. The moment her face poked back out he snapped a picture, freezing the moment Frisk had tears in her eyes from the smile on her face. He hit save.

"Sans, it's wonderful. It's so… thoughtful!" She wiped her eyes. It wasn't a big enough deal to cry over, after all. It was just a very surprisingly thoughtful gesture, one she was not at all expecting from him. She thought of all the Christmas/Birthday cards lazily signed 'and sans.' "I'm putting it on now."

"Oh kid, you don't have to right now-"

"Absolutely I do. If it's alright with you," she smiled sheepishly. Sans looked everywhere else but at her, suddenly very interested in the ice in his water. Taking his lack of response as acceptance, she hurried off to the bathroom. Taking the door labeled 'HUMAN F', it was surprising how many bathroom doors Grillby's had, she slipped inside with the paper bag.

Sans did his very best to cover his embarrassment. The ways her eyes lit up at the gift, he wasn't prepared for it. She looked so pleased, her cheeks had a darker hue and her smile looked like it would split her face. How had he never seen that expression before? It was adorable. Had he really never actually given her a present before? Or maybe it was because they had done it so privately, there weren't any other monsters to impress if it was just them. His phone buzzed.

 **Papyrus: DID YOU GET THE HUMAN THEIR GIFT?**

Rolling his eyes, he typed out a quick response. **Yes** **.**

 **Papyrus: WELL BRING IT BY SO I MAY WRAP IT! AND also check if it is appropriate.**

 **Too late bro. Already gave it to her. You'll see it later.**

He turned his attention away from his phone, ignoring the almost angry buzzing. Frisk was bouncing over to their table looking positively thrilled. The sweater, god _damn_ the sweater. He picked it specifically because it looked baggy, but actually it fit her form very well. Tighter near her shoulders and chest, but loose everywhere it needed to be. The turtleneck looked good on her, if she tilted her chin down it could almost cover her nose. The blue looked good, he decided. It wasn't the purple she'd have liked, but who cares about color if it's warm? With a phone in hand, he almost wanted to snap another quick picture, but decided one was enough.

"It fits so perfect, thank you!" She swung her arms around him in a very uncomfortable hug. Awkwardly, he patted her back and tried not to think about her body being so close. What was _wrong_ with him?

"Yeah, good to hear kiddo," he gently pushed her back, closing one eye to avoid looking suspicious. Tucking his hands into his hoodie's pockets, he turned toward the door. "Well, I gotta go find a safe place to slack off, I'll see you tonight."

"Mhmm! Hope to see you there," She gathered up the, now empty, paper bag. Her phone had more than a few text messages from people wishing her a happy birthday. She'd better catch up with Toriel and help out, her adoptive mother can't handle preparing by herself, no matter what she told Frisk. She looked back up to thank Sans again, but was greeted with silence. He'd already taken his shortcut to wherever he went to be alone. Grillby nodded at her as she left, giving her a smile concealed by fire. He saw those two come in together for years.

Hopefully soon, they'd start leaving together too.

…

2

…

The party went great. People and monster alike came in and out, showering Frisk with well wishes and cards. Her closest friends came with presents, and she had to laugh at Papyrus' special spaghetti plate, where on the back he had written his name and the date. An 'and sans' had been written and then scratched out. The plate was a soft pink, with bones and skulls decorating the rim. It didn't seem fancy, but to her it was to precious to ever use. Well, except for Papyrus' spaghetti of course. But by the end of the night, she was beat. Sans had come by, but other than chat up everyone at the party he wasn't really 'present'. He looked tired. After saying her farewells to everyone, and helping Toriel clean up, she announced the birthday girl was going to bed. Her mind was full of friendship and cake, there was nothing that could bring her down tonight.

Her head hit the soft pillow and she was out. The warmth of the day wrapped around her, filling her with that familiar sense of safety. Or maybe that was from her new sweater. She promised herself she'd wash it in the morning, she was too tired to change into her pajamas tonight.

Darkness surrounded her in her sleep, suddenly becoming very cold. Gone was that safe feeling. She sat up, rubbing her very tired eyes. Under her hand, she did not feel the warmth of her soft bed. She felt the rough grain of wooden floors and filth. No, not tonight too.

She jumped up, nearly choking herself. Right. That was in every dream too, she remembered. The leather leash tied to the back of the shed. She worked at the clasp, trying desperately to pull the padlock off or break the leather. Fumbling her fingers around it in the dark only caused her panic to rise. It was a dream, she knew it was a dream, so why can't she snap out of it? Change it to something happy, like flying or bubbles or...or him.

The heavy door shook before it creaked open. As if on cue, a familiar shape filled the cavelight of the shed. She didn't dare call him name, she remembered this too. A harsh light flipped on, and she was blinded by the glint of gold in a crooked smile.

"Morning, kitten." Why, oh Asgore why did he have to have the same voice? His smile slowly turned flat as he eyed her. His black, rough looking jacket was dirty. He looked like he'd just been in a fight. Frisk shrinked back for a moment before sitting politely, her legs crossed. She remembered what to do.

"Good morning," she smiled, trying not to flinch at his gruff response. He sat across from her, folding his arms across his chest. "Did something happen?"

"Since when do I answer your questions?" He snapped. She could feel her hair stand on end, but if she knew anything it was sometimes people lashed out in anger. How many of her friends had actually killed her? She could handle this. It was the same dream every night, different dialog. Wouldn't it be something to befriend dream-Sans?

"You don't have to, I'm just worried." She felt something squeeze at her thigh. Even in a dream, this got painful. Tears stung her eyes and she was sure she was bruised. Rubbing her thigh sorely, she tried again. "That can't make you feel any better."

Again he huffed, looking annoyed at something behind her. He was truly frightening, with sharp teeth and a cracked skull. He looked so much like her goofy, thoughtful Sans. It hurt her chest to see him so angry. He, however, did not share her sentiment. Another sharp squeeze and she couldn't help but cry out in pain. A wet splotch formed on the side of her thigh, staining her jeans red.

"Actually, it's pretty therapeutic." His grin returned, causing a flinch from Frisk. "So, darlin', why don't we pick up where we left off?"

"Please, _please_ let me help you," She whimpered, rubbing her injury. It was a shallow cut but it was enough to sting like hell.

"How'd you know my name?"

"Because I know you," she thought frantically, what could she do to reach him? She'd tried jokes before, and sometimes she'd see a twitch in the corner of his malicious grin. "H-hey, knock knock?"

His eyes seemed to light up. "Who's there?"

"Old lady."

"Old lady who?" His eyes narrowed, warning Frisk it better be worth avoiding his question.

"Wow, I didn't know you could yodel." She smiled, feeling her cheeks warm up. Sans had told her that joke so many times, it'd have to strike something in this dream version of him. She felt something slap her across the face, knocking her over. She clutched her cheek, biting back a scream. A piece of broken glass was lodged near the corner of her mouth.

"Funny," his voice held no humor. "Now stop wasting my time. Where do you go at night?"

"Here," she snapped at him. If this was a dream, maybe enough pain would wake her up. "Every single goddamn night I get this same goddamn dream Sans." He rolled his eyes at her, not impressed. "And every night you ask me the same questions. And you hit me the same way. I can save you, I can help. But I can't be your punching bag." With a pull, she felt a tear in the leather collar. Nothing can hold her down, this was her dream after all. If she felt determined enough to change it, why can't she?

Sans whistled at her, pleased she was showing some spirit. "But kitten, you weren't here last night. I check." He gestured to the torn collar. Frisk just put her hands on the bars. "Every day you show up in some mood in here since that first day I picked you up outside the ruins."

"No, every day I spend time with my family and friends, and when I go to sleep I get this hellish dream, where you smack me around until I get angry enough to try to break free." She yanked the glass out of her cheek. Wincing at the pain, she flung the glass in front of his crossed legs. He made a tsk noise at her before rising to his feet. She really needed to stop talking, but she was so sick of doing this. She was sick of waking up exhausted.

"Dollface, watch your sass with me." His right eye started to glow red, sucking the light from his left one. "You don't have any friends down here." He reached his hand out to the locked gate.

The door opened, and when Frisk happily tried to walk through Sans blocked her path. A familiar feeling hit her as everything went black. Her soul was trapped in a box she hadn't seen in a decade. Across the empty space stood Sans, looking as evil as dream Sans could ever. She saw his fingers twitch, and immediately jumped up. Bone spikes protruded from the ground, cracked and jagged. A few bones flew her way, and Frisk stepped on them like stairs. This was nothing she couldn't handle, she'd beaten _real_ foes before befriending them. This dream Sans couldn't hold a candle to Undyne.

"Oh, so you have been in a FIGHT before?"

Landing safely on the ground, she held her hand out. The familiar buttons stretched out before her, and she pressed ACT. No need to check, she could see who she was dealing with. She wanted to hit JOKE, but since her last one didn't go over so well she needed to think of another option. Her finger hovered over TALK.

"Just let me out, I don't want to hurt you!" She pleaded, earning another grin from him. She touched her locket, wishing her feelings could reach him. When his face didn't change, she tucked the locket in her high collar, keeping it out of danger. Well, dream danger. "We've done all this before, I can save you!"

"Oh, but see, I don't believe ya," another flick of his wrist and she flew forward to avoid the flying bones behind her. She bounced on the balls of her feet, grabbing his extended hand. He widened his eyes.

She hit ACT again, selecting a new red option. Using her momentum, she swung around him. Keeping her grip tight on his hand, she dragged him along. Her body wrapped around his arm in an almost romantic pose before he yanked his hand back. Spinning away, she did her best to channel her inner Metteton. Dancing was never as easy as it looked, and it was harder with an unwilling partner. But his defense dropped as he shoved his hands in his pocket quickly, trying to keep her from trying that again.

He stomped his foot, black sneakers with dirty white laces hit the ground. Tack-like shards flew from the ground but Frisk was determined. A few embedded themselves in her legs, but she shook off the pain. Her ACT option didn't have the red choice anymore, so she supposed it had to only work if she was touching him. That had to be it, since jokes and talking never worked. This dancing was new. It had to work. Cartwheeling back, she winked seductively at him. Flirting would throw him off and give her a chance to grab him again.

It worked, he blinked at her in total shock before his malicious grin spread across his face. "You're having fun with this, huh? You gotta be some kind of _freak,_ kid."

Red bone encircled her as he raised his hands out of his pocket, dragging his palms in her direction. They all came at once and she ducked, feeling a few hairs slice off. She rolled across the floor, twirling her legs around the spikes Sans was pulling up to throw her off. In this black empty space, she could easily find the skeleton's glowing hands. He tried to yank them from her grip, but instead Frisk twisted her arms. Her back rested on his chest, his arms across hers. Their fingers were interlocked, and Frisk had to marvel at how real they felt. Why couldn't those cinnamon pie dreams be like this.

Sans couldn't attack with her so close to him. He stiffened. "What's your _problem_ , kid?" His low voice made her shiver, reminding her of the real Sans.

"What's yours? Why this dream every single night, I'm sick of it!" He tightened his arms around her, lifting her feet off the ground. Quickly she released him, kicking herself free. She fell back, landing on her feet. Her eyes locked onto his, trying to gauge the next attack. "I won't fight you. If I'm getting this dream every night, maybe it means I'm suppose to be doing something. And that something isn't being your punching bag!" She jerked left, dodging another bone.

"Heh, alright. Say I believe you," he twirled behind her, avoiding her attempts to catch him again. "You say you know me, all of us? Even the old bat you met a few days ago." Frisk froze, she had almost forgotten about Toriel. The way her yellow eyes begged her not to leave the ruins, burnt pie infecting the air. Had that been a few days ago? This dream felt like it had been going on for months. "What makes you so sure you can save us?"

"I've done it before, I've broken the barrier. You guys are still my friends," She extended her hands out to him, no longer chasing him around the black space. Humoring her, he took her hand. He spun her around, bones flying at her head. Holding her lower back, he dipped her so the bones went over her head. "You and I were at Grillby's today, you gave me a sweater." He seemed surprised, looking her over again. Yeah, he guessed that was probably his taste. Maybe red instead of blue, but it suited her.

"I've never taken you anywhere but here, kitten." But this was interesting. She knew a location she couldn't possibly have seen when he dragged her here. And he was sure he'd never mentioned it. "Maybe you ain't lying through your pretty little teeth."

"Like I've said before, I know your brother. I know Undyne. Toriel adopted me, Alphys helped me cross hotlands, all of this happened already. I don't know why it all looks so different, or why I keep getting this dream."

"Oh I can answer that, kid." He let go of her back, letting her stretch her leg out to avoid a bone coming for her. He jerked her off whatever beat she'd been dancing to, letting her stare in the face of his Gasterblaster. Fear and recognition where in her eyes. Yeah, he was starting to understand too. She was gone during the day because her soul was busy trying to bring her back.

"It's 'cause I keep killing ya."


	2. Chapter 2 (I promise this time)

**Just a quick note to explain my hiatus.**

 **I'm sorry this took so long to update, I really did intend to post this sooner. But I had someone revise it and they explained how choppy my writing was, and that I needed to invest more in the environment. It kind of put me in a slump, erasing and rewriting things over and over. If you guys notice mistakes like that as well, please let me know. I am trying to get better.**

 **Thanks, peace guys.**

…

 **..**

 **.**

It was all Toriel could do not to stare. She looked terrible. Her hair was a matted mess, dark circles under her eyes, and her lips were cracking. Not to mention she looked like she was in a very sour mood. She came out of her room about five in the morning, unusually early for her. The nightmares weren't uncommon, and Asgore would normally fix her a cup of tea in the strange gingerbread shaped teacup and send her back to bed. But Toriel always tried to sit and understand what was keeping her child in such an anxious state. Frisk, however, looked more angry than afraid. Her wrinkled sweater dress was hitched at her sides and Toriel decided not to mention the fact she'd obviously slept in it. Frisk walked over to the bookshelf next to her, tracing a finger along the spines until she found what she was searching for. The monster woman raised a questioning eyebrow at her, but still said nothing. Frisk took a pencil from Tori's table and began scrawling something in the book.

"I know it's suppose to be a recipe book," Frisk finally said, never taking her eyes off the paper. "I need to write this before I forget it again."

"Did you sleep poorly again?"

"Mom please," her voice was very shaky. "I'll tell you in a sec."

Nodding, Toriel simply watched as her face scrunched up, pencil almost digging through the pages. She also wondered why she didn't give Frisk a dream journal. Her poor cookbook. Toriel closed the book she had been reading and set it aside, smelling breakfast cooking in the kitchen. She usually left soon, so cooking something up for the two of them had become a ritual. And with Frisk's strange sleeping patterns, she was never sure if she'd want to eat. Still, pancakes were easy to fix and once the batter was ready she'd cook it on a low heat. Made them extra fluffy.

With her mother gone to finish in the kitchen, Frisk reviewed what she was written. It was starting to get fuzzy, she couldn't really remember if she had written everything she'd meant to. The first line just read _"He killed me."_ Sans, but not Sans. The next line was a description of him and their conversations. He was angry, he'd mentioned Toriel, he said she disappeared during the day… And what else? She couldn't remember. Rubbing her temple, she realized she felt very drained. Not just a sleep-deprived feeling either, but like her soul had been ripped from her and reset. But everything was the same here.

Her thigh felt sore. She pulled her dress down, feeling a little embarrassed Tori knew she had slept in it. She didn't have time to change into some night clothes before running into the library in their home. A very thin white line was across her upper thigh, and as she traced it she remembered the feeling of magic cutting into her. Recoiling her hand, she hoped the scar would fade. But if she had a mark from it, then… Frisk looked again at the page she had written. Something she didn't understand was happening.

Toriel came back into the room with two very tall stacks of pancakes. Butter was melting on the top of the stack, and the maple syrup threatened to pour off the plate onto the floor. She set them down immediately, going to her child. Frisk was on the floor, knees hugged tightly to her chest. Sobs escaped her and she tried to keep her tears back, but there was no stopping it. She cried into the grey sweater, staining it with tears as Toriel pet her hair back. She wrapped her arms around the monster, tears pouring from her tired eyes onto Toriel's dress. Toriel shushed her, stroking her hair and back trying to comfort her. Her eyes narrowed on the open page of her cookbook, locking onto the one word written almost desperately over and over again. _Save._

After many tissues and bites of cold pancakes, Frisk finally calmed down. She tried explaining to Toriel how it felt, night after night waking up in cold sweat and feeling numb from fear, but there was nothing but pity in her eyes. She meant well, but Frisk just couldn't explain _why_ her dreams were so terrible. The best way to explain it was feeling like you were dying over and over again, but her mother couldn't possibly know that feeling. Only the idea of it. How could she explain it was the same feeling she got while running away from Undyne? Feeling spears rip her apart over and over again as she ran across the damp Waterfall caves. Sliding across the puddles forming on the wooden bridges, catching her balance on stalagmites only to be looking in the eye of the captain of the Royal Guard before her soul shattered in her body. Giving up on the conversation, Frisk started gathering their plates, shooing Toriel out of the room to go get ready. A harder task than usual, looking at all the used tissues.

Well, she hadn't meant to break down on Toriel like that. It took the rest of the morning trying to convince her she'd be alright by herself. Tori needed to get to the school for work, and taking a random day off to console her wasn't that easy to do. Once she promised up and down that she'd call her if anything happened, and that she'd do her very best to try to relax at home, Toriel finally agreed she needed to go to work. Now, Frisk was stretched out on her bed with a hot cup of cocoa on her bedside table. Also left with her was the page of the cookbook she had written on, an empty journal, and a few brightly colored gel pens. She picked up a purple pen, balancing it on her fingertip for a bit before it fell on the floor. Her phone next to her lit up, so lazily she reached for it. The screen showed a new text message, and she wondered who would be texting her at six thirty in the morning.

Across the way, Sans woke up in a cold sweat. Condensation dripped off his forehead onto the blanket. He felt like he was going to be sick. Darkness swirling around him all night, spinning and weaving, it was like one of those roller coasters his brother loves. He fell back onto his bed, trying to relax his Soul. Deep breaths, it was alright. Maybe he should keep a notepad nearby, these strange dreams Frisk had must be contagious. He was having trouble remembering what the dream was about. All he could see was darkness, and he felt the low rumble of her voice. Then the world kept spinning faster than one of Alphys' anime stories. Sans turned his head, looking out the window. A light flicked on in the house across the street. Huh, she must be having a rough night too. He reached for his cellphone.

 **You up?**

Send. He saw a figure shakily rise from the corner of the room. It was hard to tell, but he was pretty sure he recognized that sweater. Was she sleeping in it? The thought made his face feel warm. His phone lit up.

 **Kid: Yeah, just woke up. Had another one.**

 **Need to talk?**

 **Kid: What are you still doing awake?**

 **You're infectious. I've caught the 'bad sleeps.'**

 **Kid: Talking would be good. On the phone, or through text?**

Sans didn't reply. Instead, he made sure he was wearing a t-shirt and baggy shorts before he snapped his fingers. Blue light engulfed him, and he focused on her. Her hair, her voice, anything about her he could remember. Holding his breath, he felt the air get colder, making his bones chill and his magic spread around the room. His surroundings blurred and meshed together, until his feet touched the soft plush carpet of her room. Teleporting was a big drain on magic, but since refueling magic was as simple as eating he wasn't worried about it. He just needed to fixate on something, anything, to keep his mind from wandering and his magic from doing the same. Locations didn't matter so much, but it did help if he'd been there before. And he had been to her room before, when he helped her and Tori unpack and clean up the place. The room was decently sized, purple everywhere. Frisk was sitting on her bed next to her lamp, curled up with way more pillows and blankets than one human could possibly need. She jumped at his sudden appearance.

"Yo," Sans waved, letting a small yawn slip. Frisk looked both angry and impressed.

"I didn't think 'in person' was an option. You could've just called."

"Nah, I'm no _phony_. 'Sides, you're still wearing it," He pointed at her sweater dress. She had removed her pants, but kept the sweater on. Her body was just too exhausted to care, and she planned to wash it! It was just very comfortable. Still, Frisk was suddenly aware she wasn't wearing pants or socks in front of her friend. Her legs slipped under the blanket, covering all extra skin. The comforter was a light purple, dark pink designs spiraled across the corners meeting in the middle. It was flowery, girly,

"W-well it feels really nice, I thought it'd keep me… I dunno, safe?" She sighed, knowing how silly that was. Sans just grinned at her, taking a seat on her floor. The knit carpet was really soft under his fingers. He tried to put his hands in his pockets, but suddenly realized he wasn't wearing his hoodie. Oh well. They can't all be weirdos who sleep prepared for a blizzard.

"W-well I'm just glad you like it," Sans copied her stutter, earning a mean face from the girl. Her hands fumbled around, trying to straighten out her bed. She wasn't expecting company. He closed one eye, relaxing himself in her room. It even smelled like her, cinnamon and vanilla. Like a holiday cookie. "So, you had another bad one? Wanna tell me about it?"

"Oh, right! Right, so, there was this thing around my neck," she gestured, and Sans didn't mention she'd said this the day before. "But I actually got it off this time. Tore it in half. And you weren't really that happy about it, and then we started FIGHTing and… Wait, yeah, I think you were in there." Sans mocked surprise.

"I assure you, I have not been intentionally inserting myself in your dreams. But this is good right? All these years, and now you're remembering details. Progress," two bony thumbs went up. He tried to ignore the feeling of guilt; her dreaming about him was causing nightmares? Ouch. "How about location? Do you remember anything about where you were being kept?"

"You're right, and I think so. It reminded me a lot of the shed Papyrus kept me in when I first met you guys. There were thick bars, and a gate. And a dog bed in the corner, but the thing around my neck was attached to the wall like a leash. I think I really do remember more this time. Maybe it's because I fought back?" She must've noticed his flinch because she quickly added, "Instead of attacking, I got to dance with you."

"I see, so you put the moves on me and now you're recalling everything."

"Sans please, I know it sounds crazy but you know how many of these I get. It must have been different this time. I spun around you, grabbing your hands, distracting you with my stunning personality. Actually here is that paper I mentioned before," Sans noticed she was absentmindedly rubbing her thigh, as if it were injured or sore. But he didn't dare interrupt. He just sat with his hand on his knees, leaning forward to understand the words she mumbled as she thought. She reached over and snatched a piece of paper from her nightstand. Looking over it for a moment, she handed it down to Sans. His eye sockets widened, the tiny white pupils almost vanishing. Written in hasty writing, letters slightly falling below the lines, there was a play by play of a terrifying nightmare.

 _He killed me again._

 _That's why I can't move on, it's endless._

 _'That' Sans says he knows._

 _It isn't just a dream._

 _We had a FIGHT in Papyrus' shed._

 _I danced with him, he opened up more than usual._

 _He told me he'd been killing me._

 _He isn't that bad though, I know I can reach him._

 _I need to SAVE._

"Huh," Sans flipped the paper over, looking at the grooves from the pen. It wasn't very detailed, but this was progress. She was retaining an idea of what was haunting her, he just wished it wasn't him. "That doesn't sound like a normal sleep cycle, for monsters or humans."

"Can you do anything, you know, magical?" Frisk wiggled her fingers at him. She was half joking, but if he could actually do something about this other worldly thing going on with her. She was completely certain that this wasn't just a bad nightmare anymore. It never was. But proving it to her skeletal friend might be a bit more difficult. However, to her surprise, he merely shrugged.

"Probably. I can getcha to Alphys' lab and we can broadcast your dream up on the big screen."

"Does Alphys still have a lab?" Frisk honestly wasn't sure. After moving above ground, there wasn't really a need for a Royal Scientist either. She and Undyne had taken up a place together closer to the city, but still outside its limits. Undyne was with their peacekeepers, but Alphys… Frisk wasn't really sure what the lizard monster was doing lately. She really should check up on her.

"Not here," Sans pointed to the floor, watching Frisk's grin match his. She knew he didn't mean her plush carpet. Underground. The former prison had become a sort of Sacred Place to the monsters. They were free to move in and out as they pleased, even giving curious humans tours of the monster history. But very few monsters actually went near the lab or ruins. There was just the shroud of sadness cloaking places like that, ruining somes nostalgia for home. The former palace had been set up as a memorial to the human souls used in destroying the barrier, each room enshrining the attributes of each fallen child. It was impossible for most to enter the underground without seeing it, and that was Toriel's point in creating it. Frisk loved passing through, but it had been a long time since she went below the surface.

"Okay," Frisk clapped her hands together. "When? Not now, I am _not_ teleporting this early. And we should probably ask Alphys."

Sans nodded, and together they hashed out their plan. Sans would pop over and invite the scaley woman along while Frisk prepared a note for Toriel, in case they spent the night investigating. Toriel was usually pretty understanding. Sans could come pick her up after the plans with Alphys were made, and they could take a 'shortcut' over to her lab. Chances were, they could finish this up in a night and Frisk could finally figure this stuff out.

Winking, Sans made a peace sign with his fingers. Frisk nodded, waving farewell as the air around her friend seemed to be sucked away. It happened so quickly, one minute she was looking at his silly grin and the next she was just staring at the open space in her room. The spot on the floor he had been seemed to also notice his absence, bits of carpet slowly reformed from their Sans-shaped spot before. Well, since she now had plans for her day, she'd better get ready.

…

3

…

Alphys could hardly contain herself. Pacing around the lab, she tucked away empty noodle cups under her table and pulled a blanket over the mess of dirty laundry still covering her floor. The lab will always be her home away from home, and she often retreated there to try and give Undyne some alone time. They were great, but she understood sometimes Undyne didn't want to binge watch anime. She probably had time to get this all cleaned up, but what if they were expecting snacks or something to drink or maybe they'd want to watch a movie first and she hadn't really 'hung out' with Frisk in a while so what if she didn't have anything to talk about? Alphys started pacing. Her lab coat just barely touched the ground and as made her way back to the heavy metal doors. With an exception of the hidden noodle remains, the place was actually pretty clean. The big monitor was used mostly for anime, and the floors were kept very sterile. A waxy surface covered most of it, but otherwise it was unnoticable. The walls had been repainted a nice soft blue, and the hole in the wall caused by Mettaton had twinkling light streamers around it. Since she couldn't patch the hole, Mettaton had told her to embrace it.

Undyne had gone into the city this morning, leaving Alphys with an open schedule. Receiving a text from Sans couldn't have been better timed. She'd known about Frisk having rough nights, but she just figured it was a result of all the uh… 'resets', as Sans would call them. It didn't make much sense to her, but she couldn't argue with the charts. Something had happened to their timeline, even if she couldn't physically feel the shifts. But this hadn't happened at all since they moved above ground, and she wrote it off as one of the many mysteries of Determination.

Oh gosh what was she doing? She needed to prepare! Alphys grabbed her clipboard off her cluttered desk dusting off a few crumbs. Once she was satisfied, she felt the air shift in the room. Sans blinked in, holding Frisk's hand. Frisk looked adorable, flushed face not looking at the skeleton and her freed hands pulling at the hem of her t-shirt. The shirt was a light grey, with the words "I'M A STAR" across Mettaton's logo. Sans tucked his hands into his hoodie and walked toward Alphys. Worry was etched onto his face.

"Heya, we're here." Sans winked his usual way, waiting for Alphys to take them down to the lab. "Glad you're willing to co- _lab-_ orate with us." Frisk covered her mouth to hide her snort, making Sans smile with pride. Alphys just rolled her eyes.

"Right, right, um," she glanced at Frisk, noting the bags under her eyes. The color of her auburn hair also looked faded, almost paling. Months of stress were making their mark on her, but her smile still held that same charm. "This way, mind the um, stairs."

The former escalators, now stairs, led them down into her secret lab. The elevators had stopped running, so the descent was pretty long. Sure, Sans could blink them in, but consuming magical energy for something so simple just seemed wasteful. And Sans was pleased to do the bare minimum. Alphys decided the best way to fill the incredibly awkward air with the jist of what they were planning to do down here.

"So, Frisk saw the machine that Flowey used during the whole, um, 'episode.' Basically, we're going to set you up nice and comfy on the bed and hook that up to your brain. The pulses during your REM sleep are going to be sent to my monitor, and we can try to understand what it is you see that haunts you." She may have dumbed it down, but it was pretty complicated. If they could see her dreams, maybe they could work on a solution, but that was actually more difficult. It wasn't like she could drug her up to _not_ dream. But one problem at a time!

"I'm always up for a nap," Frisk grinned in the dark space, following behind Dr. Alphys. Only about half of the lights clicked on, and a few were flickering. It wasn't the best place to nap, but she felt dead on her feet anyway. The excitement for what this could mean kept the pep in her step as they neared the last doorway. Sans chuckled behind her, sending goosebumps down her arms. Having him with her made this seem really easy.

A room full of beds welcomed them, and Alphys took a neatly made one along with them. She pushed the side of bed down the hallways, filling the air with the rhythmic clanging of metal. Frisk grabbed the other side to help steer it. She tried not to think about the monsters she had met down here. The hallways were devoid of any cobwebs, making the eerie feeling of a hospital even creepier. Sans simply followed behind. Watching the two girls push an empty bed down a barely lit hallway may be unsettling, but he wasn't worried. They were the only souls in this place. And nothing was stronger than Frisk. Looking at her small shoulders, he felt a stab of helplessness. She was so good, so pure. And he couldn't help her. Man, he never felt so useless in his life. He just wanted to protect her. The glint of metal caught his eye, as they approached 'the room.' He noticed Frisk flinch at the sight of it, and he ignored the impulse to wrap an arm around her. She shook it out and smiled at Alphys, who began explaining the different functions of this creation.

Alphys hooked the bed up to the center of the giant monstrosity. Frisk and Sans held it in place, locking the wheels. Alphys patted the mattress for Frisk. Once the girl got herself comfortable, Alphys hooked up a blood pressure machine around her arm. "Just to make sure if we need to pull you out, I don't want to put you under intense stress." A few sticky cables attached to Frisk's temples would allow the pulses to be measured. Sans took the one meant for her forehead and licked it before plopping it on her head. He winked at her as she shuddered in mock disgust. "Just think of these as cameras, recording your thoughts."

"So you'll know what I'm thinking?" Frisk poked at the wet sticker on her forehead, amazed that the skeleton could create spit.

"No, no, um… Sans, what's a good way to explain it?" Alphys asked him as she wheeled over an IV stand. A yellowish green liquid sloshed around in the bag, a clear tube wrapped around it. Frisk eyed it with disgust.

"It's like you'll be wearing a camera. We'll see what you see, hear what you hear." Sans shrugged as he took her other arm gently. A cotton ball dotted with alcohol pressed against the nook of her arm. She winced at the cold sensation, ignoring it to look at his face. His eyes seemed apologetic. "Needles to say, we can't actually influence anything. You'll be on your own, but we'll still be there."

Frisk didn't bother thinking about the contradiction. She touched her locket, hoping it would be her anchor. Sans held her hand as Alphys poked her arm with the IV needle. She squeezed his hand a bit harder than needed. She was a little nervous. But she didn't get much time to think about it, as they all watched the liquid goop drip down the tube. Her eyes felt heavy. Either Sans or Alphys, she wasn't sure, pulled the thick white blanket up to her chin. The pillow felt like a hole, sending her mind reeling back as her consciousness faded. Someone was talking to her, petting her hair back away from her face. Sans' smile was the last thing she saw before everything went black.

Darkness filled her vision. She breathed in a big gulp of air, but nothing filled her lungs. Cold seeped around her, a white mist encasing her in a tomb. She started to panic. Flailing her arms around, she struggled to latch onto something, _anything_ to ground her. Her fingertips brushed against something hard. It felt like wood, ice cold to the touch and splintering. Suddenly, she felt the ground materialize under her feet and she let out a sigh of relief. Air filled her lungs.

 _It's okay, just breath._

The room materialized around her, wooden floors sprung up under her feet. She could feel the dirt under her fingers as she ran them along the grain of the wood. The thick wooden bars encaged her still, but there was nothing around her neck any more. She rubbed it as if it was sore. She didn't save before she was killed, so the collar shouldn't have been removed yet. The dirty blanket was in the corner on the same dead hay. Everything was as it had been every night, but more light seemed to peek through the tiny window near the ceiling. Frisk stood slowly, trying to gain her balance. Her locket hung heavy around her neck and she touched it for comfort. Thats right, she wasn't alone. But they couldn't hear her thoughts. She slowly took in her tiny cell, letting her friends get a good look.

"It's the same. The same as every night."

"Well I didn't feel like redecorating, kitten."

Turning on her heel, she almost fell backwards. In a shadow across the room, where he always sat, was Sans. His golden canine glinted off the light in his eye. She backed up, earning her a sudden bark of laughter. He stood up slowly, letting her get a good eye full of him. His filthy jacket and dirty red sneakers looked the same as ever, spotted with bits of red Frisk prayed was only her blood. Her instinct kicked in, and she folded herself on the knees politely, resting her palms on her knees. She couldn't make him angry, she needed information for her friends.

"So you remember me?" She asked carefully. The detached collar on the floor had not been torn off like before, so he had to have done it.

"Heh, after our enlightening chat earlier I knew you'd come back soon. Thought I'd show you some good faith." He gestured to the chain leash. She swallowed, trying to ignore the gleeful look on his face. Any moment he'd ask her something she couldn't answer and beat her for it. Sans unlocked the gate and let himself in, clicking it shut behind him. He put his hand on her head, caressing her hair. She looked up at him, confusion stretching across her face. There was no mercy in his eyes though. "So, keep being good and maybe it'll be easier on ya, kid."

She didn't dare respond. The more he spoke, the more information Alphys and Sans could gather. Frisk really hoped they were there.

He sighed, the malicious grin dropping from his face. "You're really fragile. I could snap your neck so easily, in fact I have." A tinge of pride. "But you keep coming back. Why not give up? Or actually fight me?"

"I don't choose to come here. Something keeps dragging me back." Frisk hadn't caught the glint in his eyes. He sat down in front of her, so close she could touch him. He looked really… relaxed.

"Uh huh. Sounds like we're going in a circle." Tracing a circle in the air, Sans jerked his head to the left. A popping sound came from his neck. A sigh escaped his mouth as he looked over her again. "I guess now I just need to decide what to do with you."

"Let me out, I know how this is suppose to go. I can help." It was her turn to sigh. This conversation again. To her surprise, he seemed to roll the idea around in his head for a moment. His smile drooped as his eyes closed. The heavy black coat looked as if it planned to swallow him whole. She'd never seen him look so small before. She reached her hand out, resting it on his knee. The sudden touch caused his eyes to snap open. He took her wrist and twisted it back as a sharp cry escaped her lips.

"Oh, now that was a nice sound." He pulled her wrist harder, enjoying the tears welling up in her eyes. Despite the pain, she smiled at him. Surprised, he released her. He scratched the back of his head. "Man, kid, you don't give me much to work with."

Frisk cradled her injured wrist. Ok, so touching the evil Sans was a bad idea, but him letting her off so easy was unusual. The lights from the window flickered, and she imagined the little inn and shops in Snowdin. The library with the misspelled name, Grillby's, even the dog throwing ice down the river to buy pants. The crunchy snow under her boots and that sweet smell of pine in the air. She really missed that. Sans just eyed her wistful face, tears no longer threatening to spill. Something about her smile threw him off. It was so sincere, so pure. It kind of pissed him off how easily she'd give that kind of smile.

"Sorry, I just want to help. And if I can, maybe I'll stop coming back down here. I know you're sick of me. But I need to get to Asgore so I can break the barrier. But," she tried something new. "I could use your help."

"My help?" Sans laughed a deep, scary laugh. He held his sides to keep him from falling backwards. "Why-the stars-would I help you?"

She shrugged, feeling hopeful. He didn't outright say no. "Something new?"

Sans continued his laughter. Help the defenceless human girl travel the underground? That's a riot. Although, it's true he would be the best person to ask for this. Monsters feared him and his brother almost as much as Asgore. And she did have a point, they weren't getting anywhere with the daily interrogations. But why should he be her protector? The idea was hilarious. How many times has he killed her? And she thinks she can bat her pretty eyes at him and wrap him around her finger?

But she was so breakable, so easily taken in by a monster. It was a wonder she got past the ruins like she did. He'd gone back to the door to see if the woman had been killed, but before he could knock he was greeted by the disgusting smell of burnt pie. A sickly sweet voice sang along the ruins, muffled by the thick door thankfully. That lady creeped him out. But it was impossible to get past her in the ruins, no one could go in or out without her say-so. Which means, the kid had convinced her to not only let her live, but release her as well. And she was singing about it. It wasn't an accident, and if he hadn't caught her on the bridge into Snowdin some other monster, maybe even his brother, would have torn her to bits. There had been something about that meeting too, the way she easily took his hand, smile on her face. Like she had been waiting for him.

It wasn't natural, a human being friendly with a monster.

After he killed her the first time, he felt the world shift. He had been back on the bridge with her, and she looked disappointed but still hopeful. He had no idea how many times it took for him to catch on. She was resetting. Alphys had found something like 'Determination' in her lab before, but he knew better than to ask that witch for anything. Instead, he took the girl home with him for questioning.

And now here they were, sitting in his shed talking about the possibility of working together. He had to laugh. So this is how she got past Toriel. Well, he wasn't some goon she could drag along with her. But it would be interesting to see what her plan is, and he can always bring her back here or give her to Papyrus. So alright, why not try it out? He extended his hand to her, grinning as she glanced down searching for a hidden tack.

"Alright kid, something new, yeah. But I got conditions."

She took his hand, nodding her head. All smiles gone from her face as she looked seriously into his glowing red eye and crooked grin. He squeezed it, hard. A small gasp escaped her mouth, stunning Sans for an instant before he applied more pressure. Frisk yanked on her hand, trying to free herself from his grip, but he would have none of it. Sans pulled her closer to him, slowly and menacingly. Fear lit up her eyes as he dragged his red gooey tongue across his canines, his gold tooth reflecting her face.

"You do what _I_ say, when I say it. Go on, nod your head. If you want to stay alive out there, you're gonna need to do everything I say. Good girl." He released her hand as she nodded her head, pleased she was going along without question. He stood up, dusting the filth from his shorts. She stood as well, stretching her arm above her head and flexing her sore hand. Her clothing was a little different today, he noted, but what caught his attention was a small silver heart around her neck.

It looked really bright. Too bright to be a reflection from the room or window. The longer he looked at it, the less of Frisk he could see. Frisk also noticed the change, as she looked at her hand and saw she was becoming transparent. Her skin was fading into a pasty white before dissolving, almost to dust, in the air. Sans looked at her face in a panic, genuine concern in his eyes. She was dying, and it wasn't from him. He decides to help her and she dissolves before his eyes? Fuck, he tried to grab her shoulders. He couldn't feel any warmth from her, she may as well not exist under his grip. This wasn't a normal death. She tried to wave it off, but only the stubs of her wrists were there to greet him. It didn't feel painful, in fact, it felt almost numb. Little pin pricks rose up her arms, to her shoulders. She wasn't afraid, she could guess what this was.

"No, I'm fine. Don't worry, I'll um… I'll be back!" She grinned, hoping she wasn't going to freak him out, before her vision went out.

Sans was left, alone in the shed, staring in horror at the girl became nothing around him, with no pull of a reset starting. Huh, so she had surprises. Well, as he clicked the lock of the gate shut, so did he. And now they were making progress.


	3. Chapter 3 (Kind of?)

Hi guys!

I wanted to let you know I am back, and hopefully with some better writing!

I do want to mention after re-reading these chapters I am disappointed in how I portrayed an abusive kind of relationship. I was not intending to make "fell" sans appear to be hurting someone he loves, I was intending to show a sadistic personality driven by self-interest. I do NOT condone abusive relationships.

However, I also believe given the chance, people can change for the better. And these are fictional characters.

Anyway, I hope to have the next chapter up by tonight. I wish you all well and I appreciate the feedback I received years ago!

-Eddie


	4. Chapter 4

_**I know it is a little short, but I am trying to get back into the groove of writing. Hopefully, I'll be updating at least once a week.**_

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Frisk woke to the feeling of tiny rubber cables being peeled from her head. There was no longer an IV drip attached to her arm. She heard someone calling her, and the feeling of icy fingers resting on her cheeks and someone else shook her shoulder.

"-isk?"

"-Can't beli-"

"Frisk!"

Her eyes eased open, looking at the skeleton. In this dazey light, it almost looked like his skull was laughing. That had to be it, it had to be Sans.

"Sans?"

"Oh thank God," the skull cried, and Frisk felt herself being pulled up into a tight embrace. "We tried to pull you out sooner. Jesus, I can't- I wouldn't ever - Oh my God why didn't we do this sooner?"

"S-Sans, let her breath yeah?" Alphys placed a hand on his arm, gently guiding him further back.

Frisk had a better understanding of what was going on now. She had been pulled out of her dream, but why exactly was a little fuzzy. She remembered a handshake, a gold tooth… That was the Sans that kept killing her, right? Right, that was it. She was in the lab, it all came back now. With whatever drug was in that white mist dissipating, the human was better able to recall the recent events.

"So," she asked timidly, "What did you guys see?"

Sans had no light in his eyes. Alphys scratched the back of her head and pulled a clipboard off the metal table. Saying nothing, she turned it so Frisk could see the image.

Right there, in full glossy color, was an image of Sans. He had a gold tooth sticking out like a fang, a fluffy black coat, and a gold chain looping out of his pockets. His eyes were curved in a nasty looking glare, while his lipless mouth curled into something both resembling a sneer or a laugh. Unlike the Sans she knew, his eyes had a faint red glow deep in his skull. Nothing about him could be compared to her real version of Sans, yet somehow he looked exactly as she expected him to. Nodding her head, she looked at Alphys.

"Yeah, that's him."

"And he's been hurting you. All this time." Sans asked cooly. Frisk could only nod. "You know that isn't _me,_ right?" Again, she nodded her head. "I swear to fu-"

"AND I think you're running late to your party, Frisk! Toriel must be r-really worried and we should get back. You've been out for a little bit, but you probably want to change out of your pajamas?" Alphys set the clipboard down with a clatter, ushering Sans away from the bed. He gave no protest.

The ' _I'M A STAR'_ T-shirt wasn't exactly a pajama shirt, but it had gotten wrinkled during the ordeal. And she bet her hair looked a mess. Her finger reached up to touch the spot on her forehead where one of the pads had been connected by Sans' spit. Yeah. . . She should get back. Alphys pushed her in the direction of the bathroom to wash her face before Sans took her back, but she shot him a look telling him not to move.

He couldn't get over the shock.

And anger.

That piece of trash has been hurting her. All this time. With _HIS_ face. _HIS_ magic. Mocking her with _HIS_ voice. He had never been so disgusted with himself. Or felt so violated. He looked at his hands, trying to imagine them doing anything like that to Frisk. Only, he didn't have to image. These hands were used by someone else and did exactly what he would never consider doing. And for _so long._ Balling them into fists, he felt a cold sweat break out over his bones.

"Okay, l-l-listen for a second." Alphys whispered as she returned, holding out her claws as if she could stop him from bolting out that door if he wanted to. "What are some explanations for this?"

"I'm going to kill him."

"But is he even real?" Her hands were shaking, but she was doing her very best to be rational. No one wants to watch a friend get hurt. When that bastard grabbed her wrist like that she had tried to pull out Frisk right away, but the damned machines, _her machines_ , where to slow. She didn't account for how long it would take to pull her out, and it was obvious by the look on sleeping Frisk's face that she felt every bit of what happened in those visions. "How can we figure out the connection between that nightmare and you? Why would it take your shape, out of anything else? They seemed to have repor with one another."

"All great questions Alphy, but I got a better one."

"Which is-"

" _Can I fucking kill him_."

 _Well, after that fuckin' chat things have changed a little. The brat vaporized herself, but promised to come back. Ain't that something._ Sans couldn't help but grin, his kitten was getting a little nuts. _But if she could leave like that, why hadn't she before? Really made a guy think._ Picking out the dirt from his hand, he decided he better start preparing for their little adventure. Maybe he could take her down to that witch of a doctor and figure out a way to keep the girl from scampering off. Make her stay and, if nothing else, be able to take her soul. Not that it'd matter too much, after all. One measly SOUL can't break that barrier, but it'd be a hell of a lot better than the zero they got.

"Nah, fuck that." He flicked a piece of dirt at the place she had been seated so politely. "Ain't giving this one up for shit."

In the dirt something sparkled. Cocking his head to the side, he stood up and dusted himself off. There, glittering like a star in the dingy light of the shed, was a tiny heart. It was no bigger than the tip of his thumb, but boy was it a heavy piece of junk. He held it in his palm, trying to figure out if her little locket would be worth anything at the shop. Maybe, if carved into it wasn't some candy-ass BFF bullshit. He used the side of his nail to try and pry the thing open. It was the first time she had left anything behind. Every other time she died, everything with her vanished into air. Not even a pile of dust would be left. Sometimes a day or so would pass before she appeared, spouting the same nonsense of "Sans what is going on, where am I? What are you doing?" This tiny trinket was an anomaly in itself. Once he heard the click of the locket, he was startled to see the brat staring back at him.

Well, not at him. At herself.

He was looking through the locket like a tiny peep-hole and saw the girl fussing over her hair in the mirror.

"Hey." He grinned, knowing that'd get her attention.

No reaction.

The fuck, could she hear him? Or was she playing dumb to avoid him?

"HEY." Still no reaction. He tried to see if he could see himself in the mirror, peeking through or something. But there was nothing, it was like she was on a tiny screen, unable to see or hear him. Something about having her so close, but out of reach, just pissed him off to no end.

"GET THE FUCK BACK HERE!"

"SANS IF YOU DON'T LOWER YOUR TONE I WILL GIVE YOU SOMETHING TO SCREAM ABOUT."

Ah fuck, his bro was back. Snapping the locket shut, he stuffed it in his jacket. Sans scrambled to get out to check in with Papyrus, but hesitated to close the gate. Would she appear here? Should he lock her in until he got back? Or should he let her wander and get herself killed? Let her die a few times before she sought him out, begging for protection... Wouldn't that be swell, swooping in to save her from death after being her own personal Grim Reaper!

Yeah, the gate would stay open.

Frisk was, in all essence, a hot mess. Her hair was a mess, her face looked pale, and she had a heavy feeling on her chest that made her feel as if she was being possessed. She wasn't feeling as sluggish as she thought she would. There was just something a little off she couldn't quite place. While it was nice to know there was something she could do in her dreams to progress them, it was more than a little shocking that her friends could literally put a face to the evil that haunted her. Still, it was progress! And if she had defeated the crazed Toriel in her dream, she could befriend the sadistic Sans. Maybe it had something to do with the 'DANCE' option in her ACT, but she had a feeling he wasn't as bad as he was trying to be.


End file.
